High school athletes will be able to make an unlimited number of official visits as part of their recruiting process starting July 1, according to new rules passed by NCAA Division I Council on Thursday. Recruits will be limited to one official visit per school, unless there is a change in training.
Official visits allow schools to pay for transportation, two nights’ lodging, meals, and “reasonable entertainment” for the athlete and up to two family members. Previously, prospective athletes were limited to five total official visits as part of their recruitment process.
“For young adults considering where to go to college, campus visits — both formal and informal — are an integral part of the decision-making process,” said Linda Teller, chair of the Division I Board. “This was an opportunity to update the NCAA rules in a way that provides greater and more meaningful opportunities for prospects going through the recruitment process.”
The decision could provide a huge victory for schools outside recruiting hotbeds that often struggle to get athletes on campus. For example, 15 of Oregon State’s 29 high school recruits came from outside the Pacific region. With the new rules, it will be easier for Dan Lanning and his crew to bring more players to campus.
In addition, no-energy programs can easily engage local leads with official visits without costing high-end recruits one of their visits. However, it also gives an advantage to well-paid programs that can withstand many official hits. Georgia, for example, 30% more spent on recruitment than any other college football program over the past three years.
The new rule is part of a sweeping shift to college recruiting that the NCAA instituted in April. The NCAA changed the recruiting calendar to allow coaches to call recruits starting on June 15 following recruits’ sophomore year in high school, which moved from September 1 of their junior year. In addition, coaches will be able to personally communicate with recruits after January 1 of their junior year, greatly increasing the number of days available, but reducing the total total recruit days allowed by 37 between the spring and fall terms. .
Updating the recruiting calendar has become a major priority for coaches when recruiting comes into play Basically a non stop activity. December staffers often handle bowl prep, high school recruiting, and moving through the transfer portal all at the same time. Many of these new rules focus on trying to ease demands on employees later in the year by opening up the process earlier in the year.